Free Press is at it Again
Freep.com just posted - as its lead story - the ridiculously stupid non-story about Michigan self-reporting those four stupid minor violations. One look at the page, and you get the impression that Harbaugh is running a program that makes SMU of the 1980s look like choirboys.
They're trying to make this seem like it's their scoop, but MLive beat them to this about 10 hours ago.
I'm posting the link here, but I'm seriously hoping you don't click on it, because they don't deserve the clicks:
http://www.freep.com/story/sports/college/university-michigan/wolverine…
The story is bylined by Gene Myers (the Free Press sports editor) and somebody named Kevin Bull. Yes, they actually hauled the sports editor out to write this.
The story also includes this line, designed to further the impression that Harbaugh is running a rogue program:
"Before the spring football game April 4, U-M compliance officers met with reporters to discuss rules involving the media. At that meeting, the Free Press asked whether the new football staff had committed any violations. The compliance officers refused to comment."
I hate these guys.
After the meeting, the Free Press submitted a Freedom of Information Act request for any major or secondary NCAA violations involving the football program since Harbaugh was hired. The Free Press received U-M's filing Monday.
...and they found not much really, just like the thread earlier today. The Freep - I think - was catering to an audience that might not live with a copy of the Division I Handbook on their desk like some of us do around these parts, so it perhaps reads a shade more dour than it actually is.
Why would you provide a link? I have looked maybe 2 freep articles in the past decade when I was fiending for recruiting news.
Here's a terrible story with a link. Please don't click on the link.
Not the best way to go about posting......
God it's tiresome when defensive posters whine about every little perceived slight by the Free Press or MSM. Calm down. It's nothing. Stop being so reactionary.
And I usually roll my eyes when anyone suggests a conspiracy theory about anything. I should have ignored this, but when I saw that they made this stupid non-story the LEAD STORY on their website, and that the sports editor himself wrote it ... I became a conspiracy theorist.
The Free Press has established a pattern of trying to drag Michigan's football program down. For whatever reason, they must think that's good business.
You're right, though. I should have ignored it.
I mean, yeah, they *did* help get rid of RichRod, right? They can't be all bad.
/s
I would agree with you if the Free Press had submitted FOI's to all the compliance departments for Div 1 schools in Michigan, but they didn't do that. They specifically went after Michigan to stir up "controversy" to garner page clicks. It sucks, and calling them out on more shoddy journalism is the right thing to do.
Fuck the Free Press
It must hurt to be so fine.
no mention of doing a similar FOIA request for MSU in the interest of fairness. This means they didn't think it was important for comparison purposes. This is an obvious troll by these papers to create the impression of an out of control win at all costs program..
Its also possible that the FREEP knew about the helmet signing or was there when Zordich mentioned Wayne Lyons, and so maybe they knew the violations existed (lets assume someone there knows how to read or was otherwise informed)...
If this was the case, then they wouldn't have a reason to FOIA MSU. Not that it makes it any better, but this might not have just been a stab in the dark.
Doesn't really seem that bad as an article goes. Pretty much just reports what happened although I did find it funny that it was the only ewspaper to FOIA this and they didn't pay any attention to MSU at all. Do they want even more M fans to move over to the news?
What's the status of their investigation into Bullough's (steroid) suspension?
Seriously. I have not clicked on that trash in years.
2007 was the last time I clicked a freep link. Right before the game with FLA, Drew Sharp wrote an article about fat Michigan players. But Drew also conveniently didn't write a single article about the victory over the Gators.
He took a lot of shit for that. His response, and note the quotes, "I'm just keeping it real."
Fuck Drew Sharp.
That's when I had enough and haven't looked back.
Ummm... why do you care what the freep thinks? Seriously. It's tabloid journalism. Did you expect anything differently from them?
Harbaugh, like they did to RR. But there's not a fat chance of that happening with Harbaugh! Though, this is the first attempt. Who knows what they will come up with next.
venereal disease. I wouldn't recommend it.
Eh, who cares. We could be blatantly handing out six-figure checks to recruits on ESPN and still only get a few scholarships taken away by the NCAA.
Come to think of it, I think it would be interesting to see what would happen if a school just refused to accept any sanctions from the NCAA. Going to take scholarships away? No thanks, we'll just keep it at 85. Taking wins out of the record books? No, we're good bro, we'll just keep those banners hanging and trophies in the museum.
0 fks given.
is killin me, down to one a day...any suggestions?
Well, I for one thought the article had a great deal of journalistic merit and look forward to their follow-up articles of what I'm sure is a series regarding self-reported minor violations among all Div 1A schools in the state of Michigan. The Freep Press issued FOI's to MSU, Western, Eastern, Central, and the like, right? Right?
This says exactly what the MLive article says. There's nothing negative at all.
Are they not supposed to report the news?
This isn't news. The Free Press submitted an FOI request for any NCAA minor violations Michigan self-reported after Harbaugh was hired. They went fishing for a story and got something and then they spin it in a manner that will garner them the maximum amount of page clicks.
Now if the Free Press want to hold themselves up as the guardians of integrity in the college football world, fine. I look forward to their article regarding minor violations reported by MSU since Dantonio took over, or minor violations at Ohio State since Meyer took over. Where is the article that details the number of violations that were self-reported during Hoke's tenure? Or Carr's?
Any "story" like this one that fails to put the information gathered into any kind of context is the sloppiest form of journalism. The lack of context is what makes the story seem negative when it probably isn't. All you know is that Michigan *gasp* reports minor violations, you heard me, VIOLATIONS!!!! Four! All since Jim Harbaugh took over in January. That's the tone the piece is trying to strike, nevermind that 4 minor violations may be the average for every major football program in a given 6 month span.
This is just another bullshit hit piece, albeit not with the same teeth as Stretchgate, but it's still the same brand of yellow sports journalism we've come to expect from the Freep in recent years. Fuck them.
I found it interesting when Channel 8, whose Sports Director is Jack Doles spent almost 1 minute of the sportscast on it during the 6 o'clock news. Of course of interest is that Tommy Doles is a Northwestern Football Player... hmmmm.. I certainly hope that Mr. Doles spends as much time on other schools secondary violations. Hell didn't OSU have like 24 self reported in 2014.. OMG.. burn it with fire.
However, this article is like any other written about Michigan's self reported violations. No biggie.
about nothing. The impact of newspapers has fallen off a cliff in the last 3-4 years. They have to now resort to tabloid style stories simply to get anyone to pay attention to them. They along with certain Detroit TV stations are very sparty-friendly and seem to delight in anything negative about AA or U of M. These violations are not worthy of devoting a long detailed expose about but as with anything like this the haters will come out in force and pounce. Watching Harbaugh navigate the final month in SF was a study in how to handle the media during difficult times with class and without responding to cheap shots taken by others hoping to provoke a news story. I believe we will see this handled in a similar fashion.
The dreaded double post.
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And DetNews was first (among the Detroit papers). One thing I did notice is that none of the sports writers wrote the article. Snyder, Windsor or any of the others were not listed. This is not one of those times to get all "let's whine about something the FREEP posted".
You publish three days a week, you have to come up with something.
Hey, little bro, your posting history is showing. Just about every one is about Sparty. Poor trolling job.